ROK Growing in Popularity With Northeast China Tourists

South Korea has become the most popular destination for its people traveling as tourists particularly during holiday seasons, according to the entry and exit department of the city of Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province.

It also says that the number of applicants for South Korean visas increasing as a three-day International Labor Day Holiday approaches.

This tourist passion got further fuel in recent years thanks to a preferential visa policy and when China and the ROK began working together to increase the number of visitors both ways to around 20 million in 2014, and 30 million by 2020.

And South Korea says it will extend the validity of the Chinese tourist multiple-entry visa to five years from the current one to three, according to China Daily’s report.

Also, some Harbin travel agencies provide competitive holiday packages that really appeal to customers, for example, a four-day Seoul holiday tour that only costs around 1,300 yuan ($209).

Chinese tourists are also influenced by the growing popularity of Korean pop culture and the gradual appreciation of the Chinese currency, which is a great advantage for buying clothes and cosmetics.